Where to live to learn the Language?

Kad · Post by **Kad** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:55 am

Hello All, this is my first post after a few weeks lurking

Provided all goes to plan i will be moving to Finland in the next year or two from australia. I will by then have Finnish citerzinship.

My mother and her family speak Finnish so i have grown up with it around me but know no more then a few words. I have started at a local community collage course to help me learn the language but know i wont really benefit greatly from it until i am emersed in the language.

So the question I have is where do i live when i move Finland? I had automatically decided on Helsinki however I'm getting the feeling this would not help with me learning the language. So where does a 23yo single girl move to to have some fun and still learn the language?

Thanks!

**Sponsor:**

bretti_kivi · Post by **bretti_kivi** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 9:01 am

depends if you need a job or not...

Bret

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:19 pm

I think theres a lot of cunning linguists around Helsinki.

alloydog · Post by **alloydog** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:00 pm

if you really want to learn, then move to somewhere way out in the sticks where the chance of English being spoken is real low... 23 yo SWF - I'm sure there'll be loads of young bucks willing to teach you Finnish

Post by **neil** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:01 pm

Thanks Hank

Some people say that moving to more rural areas helps. In and around Helsinki/Espoo/Vantaa you can exist perfectly well in English but then you can always practice your language in the capital area as well. However, you are more likely to get responses in English even if you ask in Finnish.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:09 pm

Well, there are + and - points to both approaches.

Learning Finnish is akin to teaching kids to swim.

- Moving to the boondox is the "throw the kid into the deep end and say: move your hands and feet" *splash* ...ok, efficient but not so nice. Helsinki area has more "swimming instruction" so to speak.

And hey, how many of you have met a "finnish buck" from the countryside that *speaks*... I mean if some families I've spent time with had someone there they'd learn in 3 weeks to say: joo joo, ei enää kahvia and ulkona sataa...

acwan · Post by **acwan** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 3:11 pm

Hank W. wrote:I think theres a lot of cunning linguists around Helsinki.

Really? Are you speaking about someone in particular?

Frypan · Post by **Frypan** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 3:34 pm

Move to where there are a lot of Finnish courses at different times suited to your level.

If you have access to the työvoimatoimisto intensive 6-month courses, I'd go for one of them. I met a native english speaker fresh out of that course (and freshly arrived in Finland) who had a good command of Finnish and totally capable conversational skills.

Although lots of people can speak English in Helsinki, the onus is on you to speak Finnish wherever you are. Every other city has english speakers too.

If being an au pair interests you, this could be another way. I met a german girl who was an au pair for a year, and spoke finnish everyday with the other moms at the park etc. She made excellent progress without any formal classes.

Just ideas.
--Fry

Kad · Post by **Kad** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:56 pm

Thanx for the replies!

My main concern is that if i live in helsinki, I'll speak english rather then finnish.

Do i need a job? Well not at first but the money will run out eventually....

So it come down to two options. become a nanny or shack up with a local...Which is the less of two evils???

mookoo · Post by **mookoo** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 7:41 am

Kad wrote:So it come down to two options. become a nanny or shack up with a local...Which is the less of two evils???

Yeah, unfortunately there is no "just because" box on the residency permit appliation when they ask for your reason for applying/moving. Actually ... they do have a place for "other". I guess you could just write that in. I am sure they would enjoy that!

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